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Listening to Victory Party gives you the feeling of being in the midst of a raucous party where the alcohol is freely flowing and the dancefloor is open for business.

Geoff Berner has crafted an unusual experience with his sixth high-concept album, embracing Eastern European klezmer influences to fascinating and often hilarious effect.

Led by the plucky instrumentation of an accordion, Victory Party puts a transgressive twist on Jewish culture, grandly displaying Berner's creativity and comical insight.

By refusing to restrict himself to just one sound, Berner brings added depth to his numerous Eastern European party tunes by infusing childlike playfulness at some points and psychotic punk rock wails the next.

While some of the songs don't exactly warrant repeated listens and occasionally veer into incomprehensible chaos, there's a deft satirical touch to each of them that makes them undeniably charming.

The track "Jail" is a prime example, in which the proclamation "I am going to jail to get a new pair of shoes" is repeated with monotonous and insistent authority.

Still, despite the head scratching that may ensue, you can't help but feel that Berner is in on the joke.

If Victory Party's aim is to be taken seriously as meaningful music, then it fails.

Judging on his past albums, however, this doesn't seem to be Berner's modus operandi. As a result, his self-deprecating gusto makes this album into a party well worth attending.
Alex Migdal, UofA newspaper